What an eventful week! Here in Manitoba, it is Spring Break. I think ours is a little later than normal, probably because we still have feet (yes, you read that right, feet) of snow. Fortunately, as I am writing this, the sun is shining and bringing a slow melt to the glaring white stuff that is covering my stunning garden. It’s almost like a gift this year, as last year we renovated our backyard, and the snow is the wrapping paper that will eventually unveil my wondrous oasis.

Good Deeds: There are quite a few and none of them took much time at all. Some mine, some others and all made the week just a little better.

1) While heading towards a meeting, my older son and I were westbound on a very busy highway type road in Winnipeg. There on the side of the road, heading straight towards us, was a Sheltie dog, barreling down the shoulder. Both my son and I reacted. I immediately turned down the next intersection, pulled a U-turn and waited impatiently for the light to change.

The dog had now gone past the next intersection and was approaching another. Two things were in the dog’s favour, he was running facing traffic and both those intersections were T’s into sub-divisions. The next intersection is a highway from the country and runs up the east side of the city. We rushed towards Highway #59 and once again I safely pulled a U-Turn, put my four ways on and pulled onto the shoulder.

My son and I leaped out the SUV. I went in front of my vehicle, kneeled down and pretended I had food in my hand, hoping the Sheltie would come towards me. The dog was moving off the shoulder and onto the 80km road, so my son went out onto the road, faced the vehicles coming towards him and lifted his hands up, so they would slow down. The dog charged towards my son, and for a brief moment, I thought he would stop at his feet. No such luck, the dog went into a turbo run and flew by him, as if his ears had given him flight.

I sadly covered my eyes, as I saw a large city truck heading towards the dog. The dog veered to the left and raced past him. I saw a gentleman, who was to be turning left, leap out his car and run across the road to stop merging traffic. He too, couldn’t catch him. Both my son and I watched the dog hightail it out of there.

Throughout my entire meeting that afternoon all I could think of was the poor dog. We had tried to contact the City, but they told us to post on a FB page. When I got home to post, the dog has already been captured and returned to their owner safely. I love happy endings.

2) Taking my mother-in-law to HomeSense on Friday, I had made my purchases and left the building to wait outside for her. I wouldn’t say I am a nosey person, but certainly I am an observant person.

While in the store, just before we went to the cash registers, we noticed a woman being rather determined towards a store employee that the ‘up to 60% off’ sign, meant she should get an additional 60% off and that it was misleading advertising. Whatever the point, I now realize that she was a significant part of the next set of events. She was causing a diversion.

As I am standing enjoying the sunshine, I notice a woman walk past me towards the parking lot. Within a minute or two, a gentleman comes out the store with a bulky skidoo type jacket on and his hands are in his pockets, but clearly the right hand is holding onto something of significant size underneath the coat. He checks over his shoulder as he walks past me. At that moment, the woman now passes him and says ‘what’s that?’. I heard it clearly, but unfortunately I didn’t hear his response. She re-enters the store.

My mother-in-law is now standing beside me and I tell her ‘watch, that guy is going to look directly at me, once he gets to his car’. Sure enough he opens the back passenger door and as I see his left arm go under his coat, he raises his head to stare straight at me.

I tell my mother-in-law what is going on as we return to my vehicle. She tells me to never mind, as it doesn’t really matter. We sit in the car, while I struggle with my conscience and I watch as the man returns to the entrance of HomeSense. Nope, can’t do it. Told her to sit here and I’d be back.

I went into the store, asked an employee to get a manager discreetly. I explained the situation, as the man happened to walk very close by us. I decided I was going to wander the store looking for the woman, when I heard over the PA, “security to the front”. Lovely, how discreet could you get?

Sure enough, the man had a package of high-end sheets and a blanket under his coat. Apparently, I am told, they come in packs of 5 and one or two individuals are used as distractions. They watched him leave the store and head towards another area of the outdoor mall. The management called that store.

As we were leaving the parking lot, we notice the car had now been moved by a driver that sits in it and the man was heading to a third store. The police don’t get called in these situations because it takes too long for them to arrive and it is too dangerous for the staff to hold them until the police arrive. Everything is done as a deterrent and they don’t’ truly care what gets stolen.

Why should I care? Because I do. Theft affects us all in the prices we pay for things.

3) Three individuals who have children on the Autism Spectrum, have decided to hold the first ever Manitoba Autism Awareness Walk on World Autism Awareness Day. They needed help with a vast majority of things and I happened upon some of their needs.

I made a call to our YMCA/YWCA special needs coordinator and she dedicated a few hours, in order for the Spring Break campers to colour posters for the walk. Kudos to Nichole Penner of the YMCA/YWCA of Winnipeg.

I then made a call to the diaper service we require for Troy’s needs. I asked if they would be so kind to donate any cardboard they may have to back the posters for the kids to wear. Westcare Diapers not only donated but delivered them to me for free. Thank you Sharon Ponton-Ezako.

4) A young woman who works with Troy in the afterschool Y program was to be working at the Spring Break camp this year. She happens to live just outside the city and basically would be passing by my house to get to the camp.

I asked her if she would be so kind to pick up Troy each day, as it was difficult for Troy’s stepfather to do both directions and put in the required hours of his workweek. This was no problem for her and she wanted to do it for free.

She not only picked Troy up each day but she brought him home as well. Kaitlyn you are growing up to be an exceptional and generous human being. Thank you, as you have no idea how this made a difference in our lives. (I paid her because it’s the right thing to do).

THE PET PEEVE!

I have a list of them but there is one that is getting under my skin more than anything these days. Individuals who park their vehicles with no care whatsoever to those around them. You know them! They pull into a parking spot at an angle, so their tail end is either across the line or nose to nose with it. They pull into a parking spot and couldn’t care less if they are across lines and taking up two parking spots. Or they pull into a parking spot and don’t readjust their car and end up within inches of the neighbouring cars mirror/door.

Well Monday was another cold but sunny day. I had gone in to grab a few groceries before I picked up Troy. When I came out, someone owning a Murano parked so close to my mirror, I am not sure I could have put a strand of hair between their mirror and mine. I easily could have gone to the passenger side and crawled across the front seat, but why should I have to.

So instead, I leaned against the back of their car and let the rays of the sun warm my skin. I saw her coming and I am not sure why, but she hit the car alarm instead of the door by accident.

I asked her ‘Is this your car?” She replied with a nod. I said ‘Seriously, how on earth do you think I am supposed to get in my car?” With a dumfounded look upon her face, she looked between the cars and back at me and said nothing.

“I could have run my key from one bumper to the next, but I didn’t”. She then moved forward to see if I actually had. I continued to speak, “I decided to wait and see who the ignorant moron was that parked their car so close to mine, I would have no choice but climb across the front seat”. Finally, she decided to speak and stated “Sorry, I was in a hurry.” “Really!”, I replied, “Well, I was in a hurry to pick up my disabled son, but apparently you feel your life is far more important than mine, so why don’t you go first”. With that, she entered her car.

Sadly, she backed up without looking and had it not been for me standing there because I had to wait for her to leave, she would have hit a young man at the knees. I yelled and he thumped both hands on her trunk.

Had I scratched her car, she would have had no clue as to why that happened. This way I hope she tells at least six people about the crazy red-head in the Safeway parking lot, because those 6 should at least tell 2-3 more and maybe, just maybe, people will actually THINK before they jump out their car doors, ignorant of those around them.

I leave you with one thought: Success is measured in many ways but mostly monetary. Look around and observe, the world is full of opportunities to extend a hand, a kindness, a good word. Try it, as it is incredibly rewarding.